Trevor Bauer never was one to follow the crowd.
The warmup routine, the choice of major and even the fastball were all a bit unorthodox during his time at UCLA.
It was fitting for Bauer, then, to do something different when signing a contract with the Major League club that drafted him.
Unlike most first-round draft picks, the No. 3 choice in last season’s First-Year Player Draft didn’t hold out till the Aug. 15 signing deadline. Instead, Bauer inked his contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday and you can bet the signature was anything but ordinary.
“This signing is a testament to both parties’ willingness to work together in the player’s best interest and to position the organization for future success,” Diamondbacks Senior Vice President of Scouting and Player Development Jerry Dipoto said in a statement. “We are confident Trevor will have a tremendous impact in the years to come.”
The early signing means the recently named Golden Spikes Award winner gets to see the professional field this season, not even two months removed from his last start in Westwood. He will report to the Visalia Rawhide today.
The Rawhide are the single-A advanced affiliate of the D-Backs and compete in the California League. Nearby Cal League teams include Inland Empire, Lancaster and Rancho Cucamonga.
The Diamondbacks’ current 40-man roster sits at 39 players. Bauer, however, would have to receive three promotions (Double-A Mobile and Triple-A Reno) to make it to Phoenix by season’s end.